So much pain...pinched nerve or something else?

[Ann.without.an.e]

I woke up at 3:30 this morning with extreme pain in my left shoulder. Hardly a comfortable way to rest it. In tears, deep breaths, "DH never misses work but stayed home" sort of pain. Sitting up straight didn't feel like an option, it feels like my shoulder sort of buckled with weakness. I took 2 ibuprofen and was able to lay flat on my back and eventually get some more rest. With the ibuprofen in my system and a heating pad on it, I'm still hurting a good bit but I can straighten my spine more. The pain isn't as horrible but still very much there. Turning my head side to side hurts but my neck itself doesn't hurt. It doesn't feel internal or intestinal/GI or heart. It feels like a pinched nerve maybe? Does this sound right? If so, what in the world can I do to fix it? I've tried stretching the best I can with the pain and the fact that certain movements send stabbing pain into my shoulder. 

Edited June 24, 2022 by Ann.without.an.e

[Dianthus]

I would try to see an osteopath. May be  simple manipulation could fix it. I had a shoulder issue that I couldn't lift my arm and it was muscle fascia that was out of place. We have ODs at our urgent care so can get in.

[Farrar]

Ugh. Is it almost okay if you just don't move at all? That's what it's like for me when I'm having... I don't even know? Like, a muscle spasm. I have to very carefully relax it over the course of a few days. But mine stems from an old neck injury. If this is out of the blue, I agree with seeing an osteopath.

[Scarlett]

Oh man. Do you have an orthopedic urgent care near by?  Sounds like you need an X-ray at the least and maybe some muscle relaxers.  

[Ann.without.an.e]

1 minute ago, Farrar said:

Ugh. Is it almost okay if you just don't move at all? That's what it's like for me when I'm having... I don't even know? Like, a muscle spasm. I have to very carefully relax it over the course of a few days. But mine stems from an old neck injury. If this is out of the blue, I agree with seeing an osteopath.

It hurts regardless but it is best if I am flat on my back. The more I expect my body to support my shoulder, the more it hurts (like sitting up straight is so hard) and then movements send stabbing pain deep into the center of my shoulder. 

[Ann.without.an.e]

Just now, Scarlett said:

Oh man. Do you have an orthopedic urgent care near by?  Sounds like you need an X-ray at the least and maybe some muscle relaxers.  

We do, I think I can sign in after their business hours so maybe like 5 or 5:30 tonight. I may do that. I want to see about an osteopathic dr too. I need to look around. 

[Scarlett]

Just now, Ann.without.an.e said:

We do, I think I can sign in after their business hours so maybe like 5 or 5:30 tonight. I may do that. I want to see about an osteopathic dr too. I need to look around. 

Why can’t you go to urgent care right now?

[Ann.without.an.e]

6 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Why can’t you go to urgent care right now?

They only have hours for after their normal business hours so evenings and weekends and their normal day appointments are always booked out. 

[Dianthus]

3 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

We do, I think I can sign in after their business hours so maybe like 5 or 5:30 tonight. I may do that. I want to see about an osteopathic dr too. I need to look around. 

Google osteopath for your area. For some reason, we have quite a few in our smaller area. I am amazed by them.

I had a hip problem, when to orthopedic, was in physical therapy then tried an osteopath who just popped in a herniated muscle that was causing the problem. Crazy how much I went through before hand. I'll always go to an osteopath first now for an injury. They are real Dr's, OD instead of MD. I try to see men because they are stronger and I think push things back into place more quickly.

[TravelingChris]

It could be a muscle spasm or nerve pain.  I, unfortunately, am so familiar with different types of pain that I am pretty good at determining what is happening in my own body-since I am very familiar with muscle spasms, nerve pain, and joint pain for years and years.

For muscle spasms- an osteopathic doctor (they get the same education as MDs but also get education on doing safe adjustments) can help and would know if an adjustment is all that is needed versus whether you will also need a muscle relaxant.

Now nerve pain is the worse to treat--- yes, NSAIDS can help some unless something is out of place, an adjustment won't work. Lidocaine patches and roll-ons do help a  lot.  There are 4% lidocaine patches and roll -ons available at stores.   However, a DO can also prescribe something for nerve pain -though I would bet that they wouldn't do that unless you have it for some time except maybe a 5% patch or cream. He could give you an injection of steroids or give you a prescription for it too.

  Since I have nerve pain a lot, I have medications here that I use and when I had level 10/10 pain starting the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, I looked up my meds and increased one and then called my doctor on Friday after Tday and confirmed what I was doing.  The kind of meds for nerve pain are some anti epileptic meds (gabapentin, pregabapentin, or my slow release gabapentin) or old time antidepressants in much lower doses than for depression and that is the one I increased (amitriptyline).

If it is nerve pain,  it will typically be the worse at night maybe leading into morning and in the evening.  Muscle spasms aren't like that- they are typically problematic at all hours. 

Oh  and one more point, you can often have a more than one kind of pain at a time.  Like if you have a muscle spasm, it can pinch the nerve and cause nerve pain too.  With me, over the years the very hard way, I learned that I needed to keep my joint pain and  inflammation under control or I would end up with bad muscle spasms and if that wasn't dealt with properly, here comes the nerve pain.  

[TravelingChris]

40 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Why can’t you go to urgent care right now?

And I agree totally w/Ann.without.an.e to go to an orthopedic urgent care is much more valuable and likely to help today then going to regular urgent care.  They would be much more able to figure out whether it is joint, muscle or nerve pain.

 

Ann.without.an.e -- can you get someone to get you a roll-on lidocaine in the meantime???   That should help right now and you might also might want to also get the lidocaine patch and put it over your shoulder from front to back and just roll on the actual shoulder/arm joint.

[Spy Car]

Not diagnosing, because who knows?, but sharing a personal experience.

I had something similar a couple years ago. Didn't know if it was a pinched nerve or a muscle spasm (or both).

Took anti-inflammatories. Heat. Ice. Massage. A couple different muscle relaxants. Nothing helped.

Doctor wanted to do a quick prednisone taper. I resisted. Really did not want to do it. I finally folded.

Pain resolved the first day and has never returned.

Bill

[BeachGal]

Get a pemf device like the Sota. Pemf stands for pulsed electromagnetic field. It is not tens; rather, a magnetic field generated by an electrical current that is run through a Tesla coil. They work very well for pain but can take a few weeks initially. I’ve used one for over 10 years anytime pain crops up.
 

You can learn more at Dr. Pawluk’s website. He’s an MD (Johns Hopkins) who has studied it and used it extensively on his patients.

[Hilltopmom]

I don’t know what the problem is- but just so you know.. you can take way more ibuprofen than just 2 regular tablets (like up to 8 as needed just hot on an empty stomach). And you can also add Tylenol to the mix

[Shoeless]

If it's nerve pain, you may need a chiropractor to adjust it. I pinched a nerve in my shoulder once. It took 6 weeks to fully resolve. I was too chicken to see a chiro and opted for pain shots at my doctor instead. 

[Katy]

I’d go to the ER in case it’s a heart issue. Then an Osteopath or Chiropractor afterwards IF it’s nerve or muscle pain. 

[BeachGal]

13 minutes ago, Katy said:

I’d go to the ER in case it’s a heart issue. Then an Osteopath or Chiropractor afterwards IF it’s nerve or muscle pain. 

This is good advice to rule out a heart problem. Ask if it could be your heart.

[itsheresomewhere]

4 hours ago, Katy said:

I’d go to the ER in case it’s a heart issue. Then an Osteopath or Chiropractor afterwards IF it’s nerve or muscle pain. 

I agree.  Remember heart attacks in women don’t always follow the pattern.  For some it can just be shoulder pain, neck pain, etc. 

[Bnogo24]

Any tenderness when you push around in neck or shoulder area?

Sitting up, left hand under your butt, look at right arm pit. Does this target the area? With right hand, gently add pressure on head in direction of right arm pit.  Might be a spasm in muscle in that area.

Can you tilt ear towards shoulder  in each direction?

[Kassia]

@Ann.without.an.e how are you doing?

[Scarlett]

@Ann.without.an.e I came to see how you are this morning.  I hope you got some relief.  

[Ann.without.an.e]

I'm still hurting. By using lots of heat and ibuprofen it didn't feel as bad last night but def still hurt. This morning, really bad again. I only feel some relief if I'm flat on my back. Sleeping is so hard because I am a side sleeper and can't seem to stay on my back. 

I really don't think it is heart. About a year ago, I had all the symptoms of heart issues. Different kind of burning, stabbing pain running through my shoulder and jaw and all down my arm, breathlessness, I couldn't walk across the room without triggering chest pains, this went on for a few weeks but increased in severity. For the first time in my life I went to the ER only to be looked at like I had 3 heads. I'm in my 40's with great labs and no cholesterol and this doctor really belittled me for being there at all. Even with squeezing chest pain. They did say for me to see a cardiologist who then ended up chalking it up to pericarditis. I had another much smaller episode of what I describe above a few weeks ago but it only last a day or two and was gone.

This feels more like a pinched nerve or inflammation somewhere. I am super super tired but maybe intense pain does that to you? I mean, even if I thought it was heart, I don't know if I could go. The bill was massive even though they only did an ekg, and then all I could think every time I looked at it was that it was pointless. 

Edited June 25, 2022 by Ann.without.an.e

[Ann.without.an.e]

I will probably try to see a chiropractor on Monday. I cannot seem to find a osteopathic doctor here?  Idk why

[Scarlett]

3 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I'm still hurting. By using lots of heat and ibuprofen it didn't feel as bad last night but def still hurt. This morning, really bad again. I only feel some relief if I'm flat on my back. Sleeping is so hard because I am a side sleeper and can't seem to stay on my back. 

I really don't think it is heart. About a year ago, I had all the symptoms of heart issues. Different kind of burning, stabbing pain running through my shoulder and jaw and all down my arm, breathlessness, I couldn't walk across the room without triggering chest pains, this went on for a few weeks but increased in severity. For the first time in my life I went to the ER only to be looked at like I had 3 heads. I'm in my 40's with great labs and no cholesterol and this doctor really belittled me for being there at all. Even with squeezing chest pain. They did say for me to see a cardiologist who then ended up chalking it up to pericarditis. I had another a much smaller episode of what I describe above a few weeks ago but it only last a day or two and was gone.

This feels more like a pinched nerve or inflammation somewhere. I am super super tired but maybe intense pain does that to you? I mean, even if I thought it was heart, I don't know if I could go. The bill was massive even though they only did an ekg, and then all I could think every time I looked at it was that it was pointless. 

Did you decide against urgent care?  I am sorry they treated you poorly last time!  When I had that kind of pain when I was in my 20s they were very nice to me and said it was not likely to be my heart it they wouldn’t risk my life.  Maybe it was because of Covid times they were less than sympathetic. 
 

My mom had a similar pain (before the accident) and I had to take her to the ER.  They gave her muscle relaxers in an IV and then some pills to take at home and she was better with in a day.  At the very least I imagine you need muscle relaxers.  (Not a doctor though!)

p.s. I totally feel ya on the costs! 

[Kassia]

10 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I'm still hurting. By using lots of heat and ibuprofen it didn't feel as bad last night but def still hurt. This morning, really bad again. I only feel some relief if I'm flat on my back. Sleeping is so hard because I am a side sleeper and can't seem to stay on my back. 

I really don't think it is heart. About a year ago, I had all the symptoms of heart issues. Different kind of burning, stabbing pain running through my shoulder and jaw and all down my arm, breathlessness, I couldn't walk across the room without triggering chest pains, this went on for a few weeks but increased in severity. For the first time in my life I went to the ER only to be looked at like I had 3 heads. I'm in my 40's with great labs and no cholesterol and this doctor really belittled me for being there at all. Even with squeezing chest pain. They did say for me to see a cardiologist who then ended up chalking it up to pericarditis. I had another much smaller episode of what I describe above a few weeks ago but it only last a day or two and was gone.

This feels more like a pinched nerve or inflammation somewhere. I am super super tired but maybe intense pain does that to you? I mean, even if I thought it was heart, I don't know if I could go. The bill was massive even though they only did an ekg, and then all I could think every time I looked at it was that it was pointless. 

I'm so sorry you are still hurting so much and I'm furious with any doctor making you feel bad about going to the ER!  Especially with the symptoms you had but in any case you should never be belittled for going to the ER.  

I do feel that having pain like that wears you out and makes you tired.  It's like your brain and body are fighting that pain and it's exhausting.  I hope you get some relief and feel better soon.  Monday is a long time to wait.  Can you go to urgent care? 

And I hate that finances are the reason so many people (including us) avoid medical care.  It's so dangerous.  I've posted this before but I've had life-threatening conditions and held off going to the ER because of the cost.  

I'm so sorry and please go to the ER if you think it's needed.  ❤️

Edited June 25, 2022 by Kassia

[Ann.without.an.e]

13 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Did you decide against urgent care?  I am sorry they treated you poorly last time!  When I had that kind of pain when I was in my 20s they were very nice to me and said it was not likely to be my heart it they wouldn’t risk my life.  Maybe it was because of Covid times they were less than sympathetic. 
 

My mom had a similar pain (before the accident) and I had to take her to the ER.  They gave her muscle relaxers in an IV and then some pills to take at home and she was better with in a day.  At the very least I imagine you need muscle relaxers.  (Not a doctor though!)

p.s. I totally feel ya on the costs! 

I could go to the ortho Urgent care, I feel very uncertain of what they could do other than x ray and give me muscle relaxers? My mom says the only thing that will help is a Chiro and ortho is a waste of time unless there is a specific injury that may have messed up a tendon or broken a bone? wdyt?

 

And yes @Kassia this doctor was just so rude, horrible bedside manner. I don't think most doctors would have been like him.  Cost is a gamble, it is worth it if you can be helped and there is something intense going on.

Edited June 25, 2022 by Ann.without.an.e

[Dianthus]

@Ann.without.an.e Try this, enter your zip. 

Edited June 25, 2022 by Spirea

[Kassia]

3 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I could go to the ortho Urgent care, I feel very uncertain of what they could do other than x ray and give me muscle relaxers? My mom says the only thing that will help is a Chiro and ortho is a waste of time unless there is a specific injury that may have messed up a tendon or broken a bone? wdyt?

 

And yes @Kassia this doctor was just so rude, horrible bedside manner. I don't think most doctors would have been like him.  Cost is a gamble, it is worth it if you can be helped and there is something intense going on.

If it were me, I'd probably try to wait it out but if it were a loved one I would insist they at least go to Urgent Care so I vote you get seen this weekend.  Might be a waste but maybe they can give you something for the pain and rule out anything serious so you don't have to worry.  

I had a nurse in the ER imply that I should have stayed home but I ended up needing emergency surgery so he was obviously wrong.  It's really hard to know the right thing to do when cost is such a big factor - it's really scary that people like us avoid medical care due to the expense. 

Thinking  of you.

[ktgrok]

11 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I could go to the ortho Urgent care, I feel very uncertain of what they could do other than x ray and give me muscle relaxers? My mom says the only thing that will help is a Chiro and ortho is a waste of time unless there is a specific injury that may have messed up a tendon or broken a bone? wdyt?

 

And yes @Kassia this doctor was just so rude, horrible bedside manner. I don't think most doctors would have been like him.  Cost is a gamble, it is worth it if you can be helped and there is something intense going on.

they could diagnose what the problem is, which would guide your treatment. I'm hesitant to have a chiro manipulate things until I know what the problem is - manipulation can make it worse depending on what is going on. 

And muscle relaxers are helpful!

[Spy Car]

20 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I will probably try to see a chiropractor on Monday. I cannot seem to find a osteopathic doctor here?  Idk why

My doctor is an osteopath, or was--as I've since switched. 

As I mentioned, ibuprofen, ice/heat, massage, adjustments, and two different muscle relaxants did no good.

I was in a lot of pain. It went on for too long. The symptoms sound just as you describe. I thought I simply slept wrong and had a muscle spasm. An advanced nerve test showed a slight impingement on a nerve in my spine (upper neck), but I'd never have guessed the source. 

I really had a strong resistance to doing a prednisone taper. But the intense pain resolved immediately. With the first pill. And knock-wood it has not occurred.

What you are describing sounds exactly what I experienced. I would at least discuss the possibility with your physician.

Bill

 

 

[Dianthus]

9 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

they could diagnose what the problem is, which would guide your treatment. I'm hesitant to have a chiro manipulate things until I know what the problem is - manipulation can make it worse depending on what is going on. 

And muscle relaxers are helpful!

My experience with ODs has been fantastic. Chiropractors are not medical doctors and do not do the same things regarding manipulation. I also would not go that route.

[Ann.without.an.e]

5 minutes ago, Spirea said:

My experience with ODs has been fantastic. Chiropractors are not medical doctors and do not do the same things regarding manipulation. I also would not go that route.

I’m just a bit confused at DO’s, I always thought it was simply an alternative degree as opposed to MD? One of our pediatricians was a DO, he practices the same way the MD did. When I plug in the link you gave, it pulls up obgyns and neurologist etc who simply have a DO degree rather than MD. Is there something else I’m supposed to be looking for?

[kbutton]

On 6/24/2022 at 10:13 AM, Spirea said:

Google osteopath for your area. For some reason, we have quite a few in our smaller area. I am amazed by them.

I had a hip problem, when to orthopedic, was in physical therapy then tried an osteopath who just popped in a herniated muscle that was causing the problem. Crazy how much I went through before hand. I'll always go to an osteopath first now for an injury. They are real Dr's, OD instead of MD. I try to see men because they are stronger and I think push things back into place more quickly.

Most of the osteopaths here don't manipulate, sadly! We have a lot of ODs in our area. 

23 hours ago, Hilltopmom said:

I don’t know what the problem is- but just so you know.. you can take way more ibuprofen than just 2 regular tablets (like up to 8 as needed just hot on an empty stomach). And you can also add Tylenol to the mix

If you take more, you have to wait longer between does, just FYI. But yes, 800 mg is an Rx dose that you can take at home every 8 hours. You can also use a stronger OTC NSAID instead.

55 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I will probably try to see a chiropractor on Monday. I cannot seem to find a osteopathic doctor here?  Idk why

If you have friends who use chiropractors, it's worth asking for a referral from them. 

39 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I could go to the ortho Urgent care, I feel very uncertain of what they could do other than x ray and give me muscle relaxers? My mom says the only thing that will help is a Chiro and ortho is a waste of time unless there is a specific injury that may have messed up a tendon or broken a bone? wdyt?

Ortho urgent care would have to rule out heart stuff, I think. Like, they might not do a ton of heart testing, but they would see enough of these types of injuries to be able to differentiate with some simple stuff. That's one potential advantage.

Honestly, I would do ice and see a chiropractor because you are low risk, and this definitely sounds like it's muscle and/or nerve pain to me. I have a chiropractor I trust though, so that makes a difference.

Quick, semi-diagnostic question. If you can stand relatively straight, does one shoulder hand (oops *hang*) lower than another? If so, it's definitely more likely to be something mechanical, not heart stuff, and seeing a chiropractor would likely help.

A lot of PT places take referrals from chiropractors as well as doctors, so once you are on your way, consider asking for a referral. The chiropractor might not know what to think of you asking, but just tell them it needs to be on letterhead, lol! 

Also, I highly recommend ice over heat. I used to think that was crazy or thought alternating would be better. Using straight ice seems to help tremendously more.

Edited June 25, 2022 by kbutton

[kbutton]

4 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I’m just a bit confused at DO’s, I always thought it was simply an alternative degree as opposed to MD? One of our pediatricians was a DO, he practices the same way the MD did. When I plug in the link you gave, it pulls up obgyns and neurologist etc who simply have a DO degree rather than MD. Is there something else I’m supposed to be looking for?

They are more interchangeable than they used to be. You aren't missing anything.

The training is from a different POV in some regards.

[Dianthus]

I think all DOs are trained in OMT (osteopathic manipulation treatment).  You could try searching that. I would look for a family medicine or general Dr. We have about a dozen in our smaller city and I thought they all did manipulations. I've probably see 4 different ODs. I even had a manipulation for a sinus infection. TMI, this Dr pushed on the back of my head and stuff immediately started flowing.

 

[Dianthus]

4 minutes ago, kbutton said:

Also, I highly recommend ice over heat. I used to think that was crazy or thought alternating would be better. Using straight ice seems to help tremendously more.

Yes

[Ann.without.an.e]

4 minutes ago, kbutton said:

Most of the osteopaths here don't manipulate, sadly! We have a lot of ODs in our area. 

 

I think this is the case here too. Chiropractors manipulate though. 

My shoulders seem to be even. 
 

I should try ice, uprise you’re right. 
 

Thanks 😊 

[Dianthus]

@Ann.without.an.e

Is your pain better, worse or the same today? Have stretches changed anything? Do you have limited movement? Have you thought of anything that could have caused the injury? Any unusual movements or overwork like yardwork or something?

Drink LOTS of water. Since ibuprofen is anti-inflammatory, I would take it at the higher dosage for several days. I was on a high dosage for a week after childbirth. I would try to resist lidocaine or similar (if you have it) until you see a dr. Eliminating the pain could make diagnosis more difficult.

[Scarlett]

1 hour ago, ktgrok said:

they could diagnose what the problem is, which would guide your treatment. I'm hesitant to have a chiro manipulate things until I know what the problem is - manipulation can make it worse depending on what is going on. 

And muscle relaxers are helpful!

Yes! 

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, kbutton said:

 

Also, I highly recommend ice over heat. I used to think that was crazy or thought alternating would be better. Using straight ice seems to help tremendously more.

Yes - I've asked a few doctors, and in the first 24 - 48 hours they advise ice, rather than heat, but beyond that they say to try both and see which helps the most. And that often alternating helps even more than one or the other. 

[TexasProud]

Praying you find an answer and it can be so hard. For 20 years or so, I had what I thought was this on and off debilitating back pain. It kind of spread through my back to my chest, diagnosed as muscle spasms and they gave me a muscle relaxant.  Just  a couple of times a year, mostly on vacation. Until one day, it was excruciating and would not go away.  Only then did I discover it had been my gall bladder the entire time. (Which makes sense, ate richer food on vacation.) It was horribly diseased. Surgeon said it was the worst one he had ever seen and I must be one tough cookie not to have ever complained or been on narcotics. 

All that to say, it could be so many things.  I am so sorry for your pain. Praying you find an answer and do not have to pay an arm or a leg for it. 

[Forget-Me-Not]

1 hour ago, Spirea said:

I think all DOs are trained in OMT (osteopathic manipulation treatment).  You could try searching that. I would look for a family medicine or general Dr. We have about a dozen in our smaller city and I thought they all did manipulations. I've probably see 4 different ODs. I even had a manipulation for a sinus infection. TMI, this Dr pushed on the back of my head and stuff immediately started flowing.

 

Yeah DOs get all the standard medical training with some OMT on top of it. They go through regular internship/residency/fellowships like MDs and board-certify in their specialties.
 

Many of them don’t do a lot of OMT outside med school. At the time my husband (who is a DO) graduated, it wasn’t well reimbursed by insurance and if they’re in a primary care field, they’re often slammed and just don’t have the time to do it during a standard 15 min patient visit. Even my DO brother who went into sports med doesn’t do much manipulation. 
 

(Also, just for clarity, because I e seen both in this thread, it’s DO. ODs are optometrists 😊)

@Ann.without.an.e, an Ortho urgent care might be able give you a trigger point injection to help with the pain. 

Edited June 25, 2022 by Forget-Me-Not

[katilac]

3 hours ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I could go to the ortho Urgent care, I feel very uncertain of what they could do other than x ray and give me muscle relaxers? 

Diagnose the problem, lol? There are many conditions that muscle relaxers would not help at all, you need a dx. 

I am a 100% believer in specialists and would absolutely go to an orthopedist. Not an MD, not an OD, but someone who specializes in the musculoskeletal system, with the relevant training and experience. A chiropractor might be suitable once you ID the problem and get to maintenance level, but I want the person with a lot more training in the same area to do my diagnosing. A chiropractor will also probably not be able to prescribe medications if suitable (maybe in a few states?), and I would personally feel less confident that they would recognize 

Check all of the providers who have online scheduling; it's way faster than calling a bunch of them, and you can immediately book if there's a slot. You can also check numerous times a day in case there's a cancellation.  I lucked into an 8 am slot when I checked around 7 am, and it wasn't even urgent care. 

That was when I had sudden and severe hip pain, and they did x-rays and of course took history. Very thorough, and he was confident enough that it was acute hip bursitis that he asked if I would like to try the typical shot. Yes, please! There were a couple of things in it, I believe, but the anesthetic part started working immediately. Like the shot itself hurt like a mother hover, but the hip pain started easing before he was even finished giving it. I don't remember what the other possible dx was, but he said the immediate pain relief confirmed bursitis. 

A chiropractor may have reached the same diagnosis, but they could not have given the shot and they could not have done anything useful at that acute stage. I also personally feel like a chiro would be less likely to recognize a serious condition with atypical symptoms.  

I did wind up in physical therapy (bc compensating for the hip was causing other problems), and I feel like a chiropractor would be less likely to refer me to physical therapy. Chiro can be very helpful for a lot of people, but I've never seen a chiro practice that matches up to a PT practice, regarding range of equipment and emphasis on the patient being guided to do the work, versus a chiro in a typical office working on you. My PT practice is like a large gym but more specialized equipment. 

So, obviously I think you should go to an ortho! There's no telling what it could be, so that's the first thing to nail down before you can decide on treatment. I would not have guessed bursitis in a million years, bc the pain was so sudden and severe, and I had never had any problems whatsoever with that hip. You don't know what it is; go to the doctor. 

[Kassia]

@Ann.without.an.e how are you doing?  Thinking of you.

[Jaybee]

This may be way off base for your situation, but it reminds me of when I got shingles last year, only it was in the lower right trunk area. I thought I had a pinched nerve, because it hurt so badly inside my body for several days, and I couldn't figure out what the problem was--nerve? joint? muscle? Thought maybe I had hurt something in my workout. I was really sore internally and had trouble finding relief. Then a few small rash patches broke out, and I knew almost immediately then, that it was shingles. I had what I would consider a mild case and as soon as the rash broke out, was put on the antiviral, but I had a lot of fatigue and it still took me several weeks to recover.

[TravelingChris]

On 6/25/2022 at 10:01 AM, Ann.without.an.e said:

I'm still hurting. By using lots of heat and ibuprofen it didn't feel as bad last night but def still hurt. This morning, really bad again. I only feel some relief if I'm flat on my back. Sleeping is so hard because I am a side sleeper and can't seem to stay on my back. 

I really don't think it is heart. About a year ago, I had all the symptoms of heart issues. Different kind of burning, stabbing pain running through my shoulder and jaw and all down my arm, breathlessness, I couldn't walk across the room without triggering chest pains, this went on for a few weeks but increased in severity. For the first time in my life I went to the ER only to be looked at like I had 3 heads. I'm in my 40's with great labs and no cholesterol and this doctor really belittled me for being there at all. Even with squeezing chest pain. They did say for me to see a cardiologist who then ended up chalking it up to pericarditis. I had another much smaller episode of what I describe above a few weeks ago but it only last a day or two and was gone.

This feels more like a pinched nerve or inflammation somewhere. I am super super tired but maybe intense pain does that to you? I mean, even if I thought it was heart, I don't know if I could go. The bill was massive even though they only did an ekg, and then all I could think every time I looked at it was that it was pointless. 

That is such a bad attitude and lack of knowledge on the part of the doctors.   My sister got her first heart attack at 34 and died at 36 of one( or maybe it was 33 and 35). With the first one, rge ambulance crew didn't want yo take her except either she or her husband insisted.  ( This was more than 20 years ago and I don't remember the details well.)

[Ann.without.an.e]

Sorry I haven’t updated. Still hurting like yesterday so not as horrible as Friday. I started running a fever this evening. Could this just be viral?

[Kassia]

1 minute ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

Sorry I haven’t updated. Still hurting like yesterday so not as horrible as Friday. I started running a fever this evening. Could this just be viral?

Oh no.  Do you know what you'll do tomorrow to get care?  I'm so sorry.  😞  

[Ann.without.an.e]

I don’t think chiro or ortho will see me with a fever so tomorrow I may go to my regular doctor or urgent care (since my main Dr mainly deals with hormones and doesn’t have good availability for stuff like this). I really need a readily accessible primary care. Ugh. 

Edited June 27, 2022 by Ann.without.an.e

[itsheresomewhere]

47 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I don’t think chiro or ortho will see me with a fever so tomorrow I may go to my regular doctor or urgent care (since my main Dr mainly deals with hormones and doesn’t have good availability for stuff like this). I really need a readily accessible primary care. Ugh. 

Ask the doctor to check your urine.  Some people can have extremely bad shoulder pain, nothing else yet have a kidney infection.  Now with the fever, it is worth checking.